National Book Award Non Fiction Winner

Russia Leaves the War

by George F. Kennan

Summary

The first volume of a massive study of Soviet-American relations, focusing on the chaotic years of the Russian Revolution (1917–1920). It is a foundational text in the history of Cold War diplomacy.

Historical Context & Significance

Kennan was the primary architect of the U.S. policy of "Containment" during the Cold War; this book applied his diplomatic expertise to the history of the 1917 revolution.